Threefold

by Scott Hildreth

  “Good, I’d like to get out of here early,” I responded.

  “Yeah, you can get home and see what the little thief is doing,” he said as he rolled the bike down the ramp.

  “Actually, I was thinking of taking her shopping before she has to go back to work,” I said, knowing it would irritate him.

  “Shopping? Sometimes I wonder about you, E,” he grunted.

  “Feeling’s mutual,” I said as I began to pick up the tools.

  After picking up the tools, and sweeping the shop, I looked at my watch. It was 3:00. Rain shouldn’t have to be back to work until roughly 5:00, leaving us enough time to potentially go shopping. Although I hadn’t mentioned it to her, I suspected she’d never ask, and actually enjoy the trip.

  As Jake pulled into the parking lot beside my bike, I waited for his report on the performance of the motorcycle we’d repaired.

  “Clutch sound good? No slipping?” I asked.

  “Runs like a fucking top,” he said as he switched off the ignition.

  “You know, I been thinking,” he said as he lifted his leg over the seat.

  He crossed his arms and leaned backward, as if he was giving deep thought to a serious subject. After a moment, he tilted his head to the side and narrowed his gaze.

  “There’s that patch-in party coming up at the end of summer. Hell, we’re invited you know,” he paused and nodded his head.

  “And?” I asked as I stepped to the rear of the bike.

  “Well, that girl, the homeless chick. You should bring her to the party,” he sighed.

  I turned, smiled, and nodded my head at the thought of Rain riding to the party on the back of my bike. I suspected she’d really enjoy the freedom associated with riding on a motorcycle.

  “I might just do that,” I said under my breath as I gazed toward my bike.

  “Yeah, probably be a good deal for everyone. You could have that little whore sucking everyone’s cocks. Might make you a few bucks and get you a little cred with the big boys,” he chuckled.

  Without warning, or much thought, I pivoted my right hip toward him, clenched my fist, and swung an uppercut at his chin. As my fist crunched into his chin, he collapsed against the building. The pain from the impact shot from my fist to my elbow like a jolt of electricity. As I shook my hand and walked to my bike, he began to blink his eyes and rub his chin.

  “You motherfucker,” I hissed as I wiped my knuckles on my jeans.

  It was apparent he knew he had crossed a line I wasn’t comfortable with. With wide eyes, he rubbed his chin and glared at me as I got on my bike and started it. As the engine warmed up, I stared at him for a long moment, shook my head, and pulled in the clutch lever.

  And, for once in his life, Jake had nothing to say.

  Best decision you’ve ever made, you insensitive prick.

  RAIN

  The day after their invitation to have me move in was a Saturday, and Cade spent all morning moving boxes to the basement as Ethan worked for half a day at his shop. In the afternoon, a delivery service delivered a new bed, and moved it into the room upstairs. Cade purchased a small dresser and a nightstand from an advertisement on Craigslist for $40, and after some haggling, had the items delivered by the person selling them. Although everything I owned fit in one of the dresser drawers, I felt as if I had won the lottery. In many respects, I had.

  I had my own bedroom, bathroom, and a place to put my belongings. The family of the handicapped man in the building hired me to assist him, and I was taking great pride in doing for him what had been done for me. Providing open arms, a kind heart, and exercising a little patience proved to provide me a feeling of satisfaction I had never felt.

  I was making progress.

  As I wandered through the house, and tried to find something that needed to be cleaned, Ethan walked in. I glanced at the clock on the wall, shocked he was home so early. It was 3:15, roughly two hours earlier than normal.

  “You’re home early,” I said as I turned around to face him.

  “Got off early. You busy?” he asked.

  He wasn’t wearing his jacket, which I found odd. The evening ritual was for him to remove his jacket, walk to his room, and then get his one beer for the night.

  I lifted the bottle of polish and pointed it at him as if it were a gun, “No, just looking for something to clean. Everything’s spotless.”

  “That’s Cade for you,” he shrugged.

  “Where’s your jacket?” I asked.

  He tilted his head toward the door, “Left it at work. Let’s go shopping. We can run to the mall and get you a few things before you have to go back to work.”

  “You mean like now?” I asked excitedly.

  I had worked for two weeks, and saved every bit of the money. Cade had given me everything I needed as far as toiletries were concerned, and as much as I insisted, they wouldn’t accept any of my offerings for assistance in paying for groceries. The wages, along with the tips Trent had given me, totaled a little over two hundred dollars. Although I’d refused the previous offers to go shopping for fear of not being able to afford it, it now seemed possible after receiving my second payment. As much as I hated the thought of spending any of the money, buying new panties and maybe a pair of shorts was very exciting.

  I rushed to the pantry, and put the rag and polish back where I found it, talking as I hurried past Ethan.

  “Can we go to the mall and the DAV? I can get some new panties at the mall, and maybe a pair of really nice shorts at the DAV.”

  “Sure,” he responded.

  I ran from the pantry, past Ethan, and up to my bedroom. After pulling my hair into a ponytail, and grabbing my money, I rushed down the stairs and into the living room.

  “Ready!” I squeaked as I raised my hands in the air.

  Ethan shook his head and smiled, “Well, let’s do it.”

  The ride to the mall was hot, but very refreshing. We rode up Douglas Avenue the entire way, and as always, traffic was minimal but consistent. As we slowly rode through College Hill, the smell of the spring flowers and freshly cut grass was enough to cause me to close my eyes and try to capture the scent with each breath. Riding on the back of the bike was more pleasurable than anything I had ever done, short of sex. As we pulled into the mall parking lot, the excitement was almost more than I could take.

  “Guess when I was here last,” I said as I motioned toward the door.

  Ethan shrugged his shoulders as he removed his glasses, “I don’t know.”

  “I was sixteen. Christina’s mom brought us. I watched while they shopped. I didn’t come after that, it was depressing,” I sighed.

  Although neither Ethan nor Cade had mentioned it, I knew the clothes I wore were nothing short of awful. With the exception of my black worker’s pants I had taken from a sack in the parking lot of the DAV, all of my other clothes were from high school. Over the years, items became ruined and were discarded. What I was left with was a small assortment of shirts, pants, two bras which I rarely wore, and a few pair of grotesque panties that I only wore when I felt I had to. The black pants were in good shape and didn’t show the two years of stains they’d acquired.

  I had never seen myself as a dirty person, but since moving in with Ethan and Cade, I was beginning to realize I looked nothing short of awful when dressed. Now going into the mall looking like I just stepped off of a construction site, I held my head high and was filled with pride.

  “Well, come on, we haven’t got all damned day,” Ethan said as he held the door open.

  As he held the door with his left hand, his right hung at his side. It looked swollen and painful.

  “What did you do to your hand, it looks swollen,” I asked.

  “Smashed it at work,” he responded as he glanced down at it.

  “It looks like it hurts,” I said over my shoulder as I walked inside.

  “It’ll be fine,” he said flatly.

  As we walked in front of Victoria’s Secret, I hesitated and
stared in the shop. A sign in front of a huge display of panties said $10.50 or any 5 for $27.00. I turned toward Ethan, grinned, and glanced at the display.

  “Well…” he said as he motioned inside, “They won’t bring them out here to you.”

  I cautiously stepped inside as if they were going to reject me as soon as they saw me. The store smelled like I remembered Christina’s mother smelling. After approaching the display and gawking at the selection of panties, a skinny but curvaceous girl with black hair walked up and smiled. A clean, soft scent of flowers filled the air.

  “How are we doing today?” she asked.

  “Real well,” Ethan responded.

  “Can I help you find anything?” she asked.

  I shook my head.

  “She’s found the panties, where are the bras?” Ethan asked.

  “Right over there,” she said as she pointed to a display behind the one where we stood, “Do you know what size you need?”

  “34 B,” I responded.

  “Honey, I don’t think you’re a 34 anything. Have you been measured lately?” she asked.

  Embarrassed, I shook my head.

  “Hold on,” she said as she turned and walked away.

  “I didn’t say I needed a bra,” I whispered.

  “Well, I know you do. You never wear one. Just settle down, I’ll buy it for you, I want to,” Ethan whispered.

  “You’re not buying me anything,” I whispered in response.

  The black haired girl stepped between us with a fabric tape measure, “I’m Melanie, by the way. Now lift your arms.”

  As I lifted my arms, she wrapped the tape measure around me.

  “Okay, lower them,” she said.

  After measuring me in three different places, she grinned.

  “See?” she said as draped the tape measure over her neck.

  “32 DD,” she grinned.

  “Huh?” I shrugged.

  “It happens all the time. Honey, you’re tiny, but your boobs aren’t. Try one of the 32DD’s, you’ll be surprised what it feels like to have a bra that actually fits,” she said.

  I smiled and arched my back, “Okay.”

  “Let me know if you need any help,” she said as she turned away.

  I turned toward Ethan and cupped my hand beside my mouth, “I have big titties.”

  He blinked his eyes and licked his lips playfully, “I know.”

  After picking out five pairs of panties and a bra, Ethan and I walked to the dressing room. I felt special. To be honest, I was as excited as I could ever remember being in my entire life. I’m sure to most women, panties and bras are not perceived as a huge deal. To me, and for the last five years, they were something beyond my financial reach. Finding it odd how something so simple could become so exciting, I offered Ethan into the dressing room to share my excitement.

  “I’m sorry, but he can’t go in with you, store policy,” the woman standing at the end of the row of dressing rooms said.

  “But I want him to see them,” I sighed.

  She looked both directions, leaned toward me, and whispered, “I tell you what. Try them on, and when you’re done, he can peek in the door, okay? Use this room.”

  She unlocked the room at the end of the row of doors, across from the chair I suspected she wanted Ethan to sit in. I turned toward Ethan, shrugged my shoulders, and stepped into the room. After taking off my pants and pulling on the panties, I hung my tee shirt on the hook and pulled the bra on. It was soft against my skin, felt very supportive, but wasn’t binding in any way. I exhaled and looked in the mirror. Standing barefoot in a new pair of purple panties and a black bra, I looked better than I remember ever looking.

  “Ethan,” I whispered as I pulled the door open a few inches.

  Ethan stood and took the few steps to the door.

  “Look,” I said as I swung the door open.

  “Holy shit,” he gasped as he glanced over each shoulder, “Close the door.”

  “I wanted you to see,” I whispered.

  “I can see just fine. Holy fuck, you look great. Jesus, Rain,” he whispered, “The entire store doesn’t need to see you half-naked.”

  I didn’t want the entire store to see me half-naked. I only wanted Ethan to see me. Part of the reason I wanted him to see me was because I was proud of the new underwear. A bigger part wanted him to see me because I wanted it to make him want me, and hoped him seeing me in my panties would help fuel that desire.

  “I love this bra,” I sighed as I glanced back and forth between the mirror and Ethan.

  “I love it too, now close the door and try on the other panties,” he said as he wiped his brow with the back of his hand.

  After trying on each pair of the panties and admiring them in the mirror individually, I totaled the cost of the bra and panties, and decided I could afford to buy them as long as I didn’t buy anything else of significance in the next month. I needed to try and save all the money I could. As much as I hated to, I got dressed, sans panties and bra, and opened the door.

  “Okay. I’m ready, boss” I said as I stepped out of the room.

  “Now the tough part,” Ethan sighed as he stood from his chair.

  Together, we walked to the checkout register, and I carefully placed the items on the counter. As our original saleswoman, Melanie, rang up each item, she smiled, folded them, and carefully placed them in a fancy striped bag. As she pressed the button, totaling the purchase, she jumped back and gasped.

  “Holy crap!” she shouted.

  “What?” I screeched as I jumped away from the counter.

  Fairly certain she’d seen a spider or something gross, and knowing I didn’t want it anywhere near me or my new clothes, I stood away from the counter and waited for her to respond. She held her hands to her mouth and looked as if she was going to cry.

  “I can’t believe it,” she gasped.

  “What?” I asked as I turned toward Ethan for some kind of answer.

  He peered over the counter and shrugged his shoulders.

  “You’re our five thousandth shopper this year,” she said through the spaces between her fingers as she continued to stare at the cash register.

  I alternated glances between Ethan and her, “What does that mean?”

  She reached under the counter and pulled a credit card up and held in in her hand, “You’ve won a $500 dollar gift card.”

  My heart raced. I opened my mouth and slowly turned to face Ethan, then shifted my eyes to Melanie, “$500 hundred dollars? Seriously? Me?”

  She nodded her head and swiped the card through the reader.

  “Looks like you have $409.56 left to spend. You don’t have to spend it today, it’s yours for whenever you like, at any of our stores,” she said as she handed me the card.

  I turned to face Ethan and opened my arms, “Oh my God, this is the best day of my entire life.”

  As he hugged me and held me in his arms, I was sure I was right. Feeling my body being held tight against his was amazing and I didn’t want it to end. Ethan and Cade were by far the best thing to ever happen to me. My life was changing, my luck was changing, and I had new underwear.

  The only way life could get any better was if he didn’t ever let me go.

  ETHAN

  Five minutes earlier.

  “Listen, I don’t give a fuck how you do it, but figure something out,” I growled as I handed her the five hundred dollars.

  “I just, I don’t know. Not without just telling her you gave me the money,” the clerk shrugged.

  You dumb bitch, don’t you have an imagination?

  “Fuck that, it defeats the purpose. I don’t want her to know where it came from. Now hurry the fuck up and figure something out, she’s going to be done in a minute,” I complained as I peered toward the dressing area.

  “I’ll do it, Karie. We’ll just use a gift card,” Melanie said as she stepped behind the counter.

  “Thank you. Just make it seem real, and no matter what, don�
��t tell her where it came from,” I said as I glanced toward the dressing rooms.

  “Don’t worry,” Melanie said as she accepted the money and grabbed a gift card from the counter.

  I saved every penny I made, and never really spent any money to speak of. All of my earnings, short of what it took me to live, was set aside for my dream of owning my own shop. As much as I probably needed a car, I refused to spend the money on one. In hindsight, going two years without a car was probably a subconscious thing, trying to hold on the thought of marriage and Chloe. Not having a car gave me reason to recollect Chloe, the marriage, and the divorce. It took some doing, but with Rain’s help, I was slowly seeing a deep need to let Chloe and everything associated with her finally drift away.

  I not only wanted to help Rain out in any way I could, but I desperately wanted to take our friendship to a different level. Knowing she’d probably reject me for some of the same reasons Chloe did prevented me from attempting anything with her in that respect, but it certainly didn’t keep me from wanting. As far as I was concerned, Rain was as close to perfection as a woman could ever get. She was absolutely stunning, humble, intelligent, and full of gratitude for even the simple things life offered her.

  I grinned at the thought of how Rain would feel with her newly acquired undergarments, and gave Melanie the thumbs up.

  Melanie returned the gesture.

  I no more than sat down in my seat, and Rain opened the door to the dressing room.

  She was beaming with pride. It was apparent simply trying on the new clothes made her feel much better about herself, and probably about life in general.

  Holding her panties in one hand and her bra in the other, she grinned, “Okay, I’m ready.”

  I stood from my chair and smiled, hoping everything would go without any tell-tale signs revealing my pre-payment.

  “Now the tough part,” I said as I sighed heavily.

  As Rain placed the items on the counter, she turned toward me and smiled a prideful smile. As she gazed in my direction for a moment, I not only realized she was the most beautiful woman I had probably ever seen, but she was as gorgeous as she was without the assistance of makeup or any type of preparation that most girls required before leaving their homes. Rain was more beautiful than anyone else, and all she had to do to prove it was smile.